Blinken set to tour Middle East for ceasefire talks

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East next week, the US State Department confirms, as Washington is trying to put pressure on Hamas to take an Israeli truce and hostage swap deal presented by US President Joe Biden last week.

According to the Jerusalem Post, in Blinken's eighth visit to the region since October 7, the top US diplomat will visit Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Qatar and meet with their senior leaders.

Blinken will emphasise the importance of Hamas accepting the proposal on the table as it's nearly identical to the deal the group endorsed last month, according to the State Department, and discuss how the proposal would benefit both Israelis and Palestinians.

The deal would "set the conditions for further integration between Israel and its Arab neighbours, strengthening Israel’s long-term security and improving stability across the region," the State Department said.

In Jordan, Blinken will attend a conference co-hosted by Jordan, Egypt and the United Nations on the humanitarian response in Gaza.